In view of the upcoming HPCSA annual fees and registration deadline, we ask practitioners to take note of the latest developments below, as it applies to practitioners outside of SA, exemptions and voluntary erasure. Please keep in mind that failure to pay annual fees will result in suspension.
Online renewal and payment portal
The Health Professions Council of South Africa (Council) is committed to improving efficiency when serving practitioners. In the third quarter of the 2016/17 financial year, Council engaged a systems development company to develop an online renewal and fee payment portal which we believe is in line with our strategic objective of improving performance and functionality. That system is ready and undergoing stress-testing. We are expecting to go live from 1 March 2017. System capabilities include the following:
- Practitioners will be able to go through the renewal process online;
- Practitioners will make annual fee payments and other outstanding amounts, as invoiced, online;
- Practitioners will be able to download an electronic practitioner card including an encrypted QR code, which when scanned, will reveal much more information about the practitioner than is currently the case, with real-time validation;
- Practitioners who prefer the printed format will be able to print their HPCSA registration details from the system;
- Practitioners will be able to view, verify and confirm, or update their contact details, as they renew their membership, or at any time through this portal;
- The portal allows the practitioner to view their qualification(s) and registration details, and where required, send a service request for queries.
Promulgation Of 2017 – 2018 Registration And Annual Fees
Registration and Annual Fees for the financial period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 will be published a little later than usual to coincide with the launch of the Online Renewal and Payment Portal. Council would like to ensure that the majority of practitioners use this platform as they renew registration and make payments for the 2017/2018 financial year.
Renewals for practitioners residing outside South Africa
Practitioners residing outside South Africa and wishing to renew and pay annual fees can still go online and go through the renewal process and make payment as appropriate.
If a practitioner experiences problems because of exchange controls in specific countries, payment may still be made through the normal banking channels after which proof of payment is faxed to HPCSA on +27 12 338 9395. In such a case, the practitioner card will be available 48 hours after proof of payment has been received.
Exemptions from paying annual fees
The following categories of practitioners are eligible for an annual fee exemption in terms of Section 62 (4) of the Health Professions Act, 1974 (Act No. 56 of 1974):
- Exemption due to ill-health – Should you no longer be practicing your profession due to ill health, you may be exempted from payment of the annual fee. A medical report, issued by a medical practitioner, must accompany such application. The application should reach HPCSA offices before 1 April 2017.
- Exemption due to age – Exemption from paying the annual fee may be granted from the year in which you turn 71, if you turn 71 before 1 April 2017. For Environmental Health Practitioners, Medical Technologists, Radiography & Clinical Technology, Dietetics and Nutritionist Boards, exemption may be granted from the year in which you turn 66, if you turn 66 before 1 April 2017.
Practitioners who are already registered as fee-exempt will be able to go through the renewal process and extract or print their practitioner card. For those intending to register as fee-exempt starting from 1 April 2017, the system will prompt them to upload supporting documentation and an appropriate service request will automatically be sent to HPCSA for the necessary verifications and approvals to take place.
Voluntary Erasure
Written application for voluntary erasure under Section 19(1) (c) of the Act must be received by the HPCSA on or before 31 March 2017 and the annual membership fees for that practitioner will then not be due and payable on successful finalisation of application on or before 31 March 2017.
Suspension from relevant register due to non-payment of annual fees
Section 19 (1) (d) allows the Registrar to suspend a practitioner for non-payment of annual fees. Such practitioner will be suspended from the register and will only be reinstated upon paying the outstanding annual fee amount together with a penalty as outlined in the regulations.
A service request will automatically be sent to HPCSA should a practitioner in this category log on to the portal for renewal.
NB: Practitioners with this unresolved service request will not be able to go through the renewal and payment process until the request has been resolved.
For further enquiries on the above or any issue regarding renewals and annual fee payments, please contact the HPCSA Call Centre on 012 338 9300 or email info@hpcsa.co.za
Last Updated on 5 February 2017 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs